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Syllabus (Silvia Borzutzky International Politics and Policies Professor: Silvia Borzutzky Email: [email protected] Office: 2112 Hamburg Hall Office Hours: Please email me for a zoom appointment. Tas: Maxwell Hill ([email protected]) Bianca Lopez (bslopezandrew.cmu.edu) Sam Blurton ([email protected]) You can email your TA and request a zoom appointment. Course Objectives The goal of this course is to examine critical international policies, issues, and actors. The different sections of the course will discuss: 1.-U.S. Foreign Policy: Current policies including our relationship with Iran, Pakistan, India, Russia and selected African and Latin American countries will be discussed throughout the course. 2.-The section on China will provide a detailed analysis of China’s economic and military transformation into a major international power in the last thirty years. This section will focus on China’s economic and defense policies, China’s relations with countries across the globe, and China’s role in the world economy. 3.-China-U.S. Relations will receive special attention. Among the topics discussed will be power competition in the S. China Sea and in South and East Asia, as well as China- U.S. economic relations. 4.-The section on Russia will include a brief background and a discussion of Russia’s current role in the international economic and political system. 6.-Latin America and Africa’s interactions with both China and the U.S. will be discussed in the last section What do you get from this course? a) Knowledge At the end of the course, the students are expected to have: a) Learned the main analytic methods and approaches used in international relations. b) Learned about U.S. Foreign policy principles and US actions in several regions of the world. 1 c) Acquired an in-depth knowledge of the nature of the Chinese government, its approach to foreign policy, as well as China’s impact on the world political and economic systems. d) Learned about U.S.-China military, economic and cyber relations. e) Learned about Russia’s emergence and its impact on Syria f) Learned about Latin American and African countries’ relations with China and the U.S. g) Will discuss current policies in each of the sections. b) Analytical Skills: The course emphasizes the development of analytical skills. Students will develop these analytical skills in three different forms and through four different processes: a) Class discussions which will allow the students to develop the ability to analyze, discuss, and defend different policy positions in an academic environment b) Writing policy memos: It is critical for all of us to be able to summarize a problem, present possible solutions, and recommend policies/solutions to others. The policy memos allow the students to develop these very important skills. Typically, students are expected to assume the role of a policy maker and provide specific policies to the President or the Secretary of State. The policy memos emphasize the use of relevant data, the analysis of the problem, and the policy design. c) Group presentations: Group presentations are geared to allow the student to develop the ability to work in a project with two or three other students, learn about a specific topic in depth, and prepare a class presentation using either power point or class handouts. To ensure the effectiveness of the presentation the instructor meets with the student about a week before the presentation to set the specific topics and parameters of the presentation. The handout or slides need to be submitted at least 24 hours before the presentation. The slides, or handouts, will be reviewed by the instructor to verify the effectiveness of the presentation. The group is encouraged to debate alternative policy positions. Conclusion At the end of the course, the students would have learnt about the specific foreign policies included in the syllabus, the principles and the motivations that inform those policies. Students would have also developed a set of analytical, presentation and writing skills. Required Readings Books: Please get a copy of Marc Lanteigne, Chinese Foreign Policy: An Introduction, 4th Edition, 2020 2 Feel free to get electronic copies of the book, if available. If you read electronically, please keep track of locations for proper citations. Additional articles will be posted on Canvas and /or emailed to the class. Requirements: Students are required to attend class, to have done the reading assignments, and to participate in the class discussions. Class attendance requires to connect via zoom and to have the video on during class. The classes will be run as a combination of lectures, discussions, and class presentations/debates. Students will have to write three policy papers or memos and do a class presentation. Students are expected to complete the papers/memos and fulfill the class requirements on the assigned dates. Extensions will be granted only for medical reasons. Students should present a note from the attending physician. Class attendance is required: Students who do not attend class will have their grade substantially reduced. Grade reduction will proceed as follows: 2-3 unexcused absences= one-point reduction i.e. from A to B 4-5 unexcused absences=two points reduction i.e. from A to C Over 6 unexcused absences=the student will fail the class If you have a medical or personal reason for missing class, please make sure to email the instructor before class. Grading Policy Memos: 2 memos: 66 % of the grade Group Presentation= 34% of the grade Policy Memos: Students will have to write two policy memos. Guidelines and topics for the policy papers will be distributed on the assigned dates. Students will have between 10-12 days to complete the assignment. Dates are listed below. All assignments should be submitted via Canvas. Optional: 2 pp. Paper: Students who wish to improve their grade can write an optional 2 pages paper. The instructor will provide the paper topic and guidelines. The paper needs to be submitted no later than Aug 9. 3 Memo’s due dates: Memo 1: Topic and guidelines distributed June 23. Memo due July 6 Memo 2: Topic and guidelines distributed July 21. Memo due Aug 3rd Memo Grading Criteria Problem Impact on the grade Grammar and spelling: minor problems minus half grade point Major problems minus one point Missing sections: a) Abstract and/ or conclusions: minus half point each b) Missing one of the content sections: minus one point c) Failing to analyze the problem: minus one point Recommendations: No recommendations minus one point Good idea for a recommendation, but poor development or implementation: minus half point per recommendation Citations: Depending on the seriousness of the problem: minus one point to failing grade Debate/Presentations Presentation Guidelines: Please read these guidelines carefully. Students will be asked to select topics for class presentation/debate during the second week of classes. The instructor will form groups of 2-4 students based on the students’ preferences. a. Structure: The presentation can be structured either a debate, or a presentation depending on the nature of the topic. Students will be encouraged to debate the issues and present opposing viewpoints on the issues. b. Content: Presentations should have an agenda, thesis, a brief historical background, policy/issue analysis, data to support the analysis, and conclusions. Please include a couple of policy recommendations at the end. The material needs to be cited. c. Topics: Students will select three presentation topics during the second week of classes. d. The instructor will form the presentation groups. Information regarding groups, topics and dates will be sent during the third week of classes. e. The debaters/presenters will meet with the instructor about two weeks before the presentation to determine the format and approach to the issue or policy. 4 f. The debate/presentation should last about 20-25 minutes (about 5-6 minutes per presenter) g. The debaters/presenters must prepare a power point presentation. h. The presenters/debaters must email the instructor a draft of the presentation no later than 48 hours before the presentation. The final copy should be emailed to the instructor and the TA no later than 24 hours before the presentation. Presentations Grading Rubric The presentation will be graded according to the following guidelines: Content: Are the critical issues been addressed? Have the presenters complied with the format described in the guidelines? Is the material cited correctly? Presentation Style: Are the presenters addressing the audience in a clear, professional, and convincing manner? Quality of the slides: Includes citing the material and making sure the slides look professional. Each of these factors will account for 1/3 of the grade. Taping/recording of classroom lectures: University Policy establishes that no student may record or tape any classroom activity without the express written consent of the instructor. Plagiarism If a student is caught plagiarizing, he/she will get 0 points in the assignment and will fail the class. The instructor will make full use of the disciplinary policies of the Heinz College and the University. A report of the case will be sent to both the Program Director, the Associate Dean, and the Dean of Students The internet makes it very easy to plagiarize the work done by others, but it also makes it very easy to catch the plagiarizer. In other words, Google works for both you and me. Please refrain from plagiarism. For more details, please see the University Policy on Academic Integrity in the CMU Website. Please disconnect your cell phone before the class. Texting is not allowed. Use of Internet Sources: Please use reliable sources. Wikipedia and blogs are not reliable sources. Take care of yourself. Do your best to maintain a healthy lifestyle this semester by eating well, exercising, avoiding drugs and alcohol, getting enough sleep and taking some time to relax.
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